I'm a 28-year-old homeowner and my housemates had no idea I was secretly their landlord for years - then it all came unstuck

A young homeowner who lived with two housemates is questioning if she's in the wrong for not disclosing she was the landlord.

The 28-year-old bought the two-bedroom apartment two years ago and is capable of paying the mortgage herself but doesn't want to live alone for safety reasons. 

When searching for suitable housemates to live with, she was upfront at first and made it clear she was the landlord. However, this only deterred applicants who lost interest after discovering she owned the place.

'I got lots of messages, but when people found out I was the landlord they usually left the conversation,' she wrote on Reddit.

'I was very upfront that I wanted clean, tidy, organised, quiet, non-drinking people and my sister said that was probably sending a "toxic message" since I was also the landlord. So I stopped mentioning that and very shortly after I found people.'

The woman accepted an engaged couple for one bedroom with an ensuite and didn't disclosed she's the landlord. 

A 28-year-old woman didn't tell her two housemates she's the landlord and lied to their faces. She didn't want to live by herself in the two-bedroom apartment for safety reasons (stock image) 

The woman said she and the couple got along well, sometimes had dinner together and the living situation as a whole worked 'really nicely'. 

'The rent was on the cheaper side of average in our area - we split bills, streaming and the internet - but they did not know I was the landlord,' she said. 

'I will fully admit, I can be a strict. I hate things being messy, disorganised [or] loud, and especially since I am the owner I want things sorted quickly to avoid damages.

'So a few times I have scheduled "checks" to get things rolling if they're being pushed aside and mentioned I might have to complain if things weren't tidied up properly.' 

Recently the couple was struggling to make rent payments on time as one was experiencing health issues and working less.

'Again, I don't need their money to pay off the mortgage, but have been using it to help give me some extra money,' the woman continued.

After lying about the situation to the couple's face, the landlord eventually decided to tell them the truth and mentioned she would cut the rent repayments fully until the housemate recovered from the health issues. 

'They were nice about it and took the deal until she got better. They then moved about last month and I went on the search for new roommates,' she said. 

'They started trashing me to everyone they knew about how I lied about being the landlord, was a strict pain in the a** b****, was trying to steal their money in a cost of living crisis to pay off my debts.' 

Consequently the homeowner stopped taking enquiries.  

'Some of my friends and family members are saying I was an a**hole and should have been honest about it from the get go, others are saying I didn't owe them that information and ended up doing them a favour,' she said. 

'I don't really know what to believe - was I the a**hole?' 

After lying about the situation to the couple's face, the landlord eventually decided to tell them the truth. The couple later moved out (stock image) 

A heated debate ignited in the comments with many saying the woman was in the wrong while others said the situation isn't simple. 

'It's like undercover boss,' one said, another added: 'The fact that she started this roommate relationship on a lie, would have me questioning everything. Sure it's legal. But I'd be pissed off too.' 

A third wrote: 'I'd be mad because it would mean I had no tenant rights. Here, paying guests don't have the same rights as tenants. When cohabitating with the landlord, it's much riskier… they can evict you whenever they want.' 

'"Surprise!! This friendship is actually totally imbalanced and you have been beholden to me the whole time!" She's a f****** a**hole,' someone else added. 

'I wouldn't want to live with someone who wasn't transparent either,' one more wrote.  

On the other hand, others gave tips on what to do in future.  

'Next time just say that you are land lord and try to not to befriend your roommate too much or they will want to become your best friends to live for free,' one said. 

'Instead of using the term 'landlord' just say you own the apartment and are looking for roommates to cut down on costs. It sounds less oppressive and still lets people know they have to pay because you need the money,' another said. l

One more said: 'Learn to live alone. You can do it!' 

'If you don't NEED the money to pay the mortgage, then don't worry about how long it takes to find a roommate. It will obviously take longer, but eventually you will find someone who is accepting of, and respectful of the situation,' another suggested. 

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